Greenway Commission OKs Lewiston-area projects

Despite the objection of
Greenway Commission Chairman Robert Kresse, two Lewiston projects were deemed
consistent with the Greenway Plan on Tuesday.

The Greenway Commission
signed off on the Town of Lewiston's proposal to purchase and install a
38-foot-by-68-foot portable ice rink and a 20-foot-by-40-foot warming tent on
the Tops side of Academy Park on Center Street. Supervisor Steve Reiter and
grant writer Bernie Rotella requested $134,000 for the Village of Lewiston
development, which was described as having an aim "to bring people together for
outdoor social gatherings in the unique, picturesque setting of winter in
Lewiston," in the project application.

"It's about the only winter
attraction in the village," Rotella told the Greenway Commission. "There really
is no ice rink in the area."

The bulk of the desired
funding ($72,000) would go toward leasing the rink. The town intends to enter a
four-year, lease-to-own agreement with the company Ice Rinks 2 Go. Rotella said
the municipality opted to lease in order to assess the popularity of the
attraction after its first year in operation.

"We want to test it out to
see how successful it is," he said.

The town seeks $24,000 for
electrical upgrades and $20,000 for the warming tent.

His colleagues disagreed
and voted the proposal does, in fact, correlate with the Greenway Plan's
mission of connecting people with parks and enhancing active recreation along
the Niagara River.

The Town of Lewiston also
asked for $15,000 to purchase new equipment for the Lewiston Council on the
Arts' War of 1812-themed productions. The town's application states, "On both
the U.S. and Canadian sides (of the border), entertainment, programming, and
historical and cultural interpretations will celebrate this special celebration
for thousands of residents and tourists."

"It's going to be an
exciting interpretation of local history," Rotella said.

"We love turning people on
to the real history of Lewiston," added LCA Artistic Director Eva Nicklas. "We
just want to give it to everybody, because we think it's really good."

The LCA request didn't
offer a cost breakdown, but Nicklas said the "Marble Orchard: Spirits of 1812"
production relied on Goodwill Industries costuming, and booming voices. Her
group seeks to purchase new clothing, microphones and lighting.

Kresse voted "no," saying
it wasn't a permanent investment in the region. Once again, his colleagues
disagreed. They approved the proposal, citing its ability to attract tourists
to Western New York.

A third plan, which
involves Lewiston but stretches the length of the Seaway Trail, also was
approved. Curt Schumacher, of Seaway Trail Inc., sought funding for what was
described as "five new, outdoor storyteller signs interpreting the history of
the War of 1812 at key sites along the Great Lakes Seaway Trail National Scenic
Byway as part of the 200th anniversary commemoration of the war."

The signs would be placed
in Buffalo's Black Rock port community (offering information on the British
targeting of Black Rock); in Niagara Square, near Buffalo City Hall (Buffalo's
burning); at the end of Erie Street along the Buffalo harbor (Red Jacket and
Native American roles); at Center and North Water streets in the Village of
Lewiston (attack on Lewiston and the Tuscarora warriors' defense); and at Fort
Niagara in Youngstown (control of the waterway).

Schumacher said his group
seeks to place a total of 19 40-inch-by-30-inch laminated signs along the 500
miles of the Seaway Trail, which begins at the Ohio/Pennsylvania border.

With regard to the Niagara
River region, he asked for $25,000, which would mainly go toward planning
($7,500) and acquisition ($17,500).

"We think it's a very
complete project that will really help tourism in the area," Schumacher said.

The Greenway Commission
agreed and, Kresse included, voted in favor of the project.

A fourth Lewiston-area
proposal, a request for $45,000 to fund children's programming at Artpark, was
pulled before it went up for a vote. Rotella said Reiter wants to reassess the
plan, which closely resembled a pitch made in 2010.

While the Greenway Commission approved the first three proposals, it
does not award funding. The project coordinators will now be sent to meet with
standing committees, which dole out monies from the New York Power Authority.
NYPA agreed to spend $450 million over 50 years to enhance the greenway
corridor as part of its 2007 relicensing agreement.